The Only Cure
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: Sometimes the only cure for loneliness is to band together. To join forces. Thrust into a world not of his own design, a broken blond is forced to make his way in a world where the dead walk, and everyone is an enemy. This is a story of a cure; of kindness and sorrow, of love lived and lost. NarutoXCarleyXLily Rated for swearing and graphic scenes down the road.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Alright ladies and gentlmen, good news and bad news. Good news first. I'm fresh out of ANOTHER surgery-hurts like hell, and my girl came back to me. Even better, My grandmother's all but recovered from congestive heart failure. And to top it all of, I somehow got a job washing dishes/bussing tables in a local restaurant. Alas, my health is still poorly, and the docs say it ain't looking good. So...I just...wanted to let you all know about this. Somehow. Just in case death has plans to take me out of this sickly body of mine...hopefully it won't!**

**Anywho, I managed to put this up here at points between the forced anesthetic. Bad news is I still have more surgeries ahead. It's been great, guys. Really. ****I'm hanging tough though, despite everything life is throwing at me. Despite all that's happening, I don't intend to die quietly in a bed somewhere! On another note, my health and my job may start cutting into my update schedule, so I apologize for that. Now, onto this. I recently played the cinematic game, the Walking Dead. Not those other two, the Telltale version with Lee. And after completing it naturally, my mind came up with an idea...and here it is!**

**This is a gritty, realistic take on what would happen if a certain someone found himself flung into a certain universe. Remember, this is based on the GAME not the show!**

_"If we're going to do this, we're going to do it my way..."_

_~?!_

**The Only Cure**

_"Fuuuuuuuck."_

Uzumaki Naruto had been known for many things when he was a boy. Impulsiveness. Naivete. Stupdity. And _thooooose_ were just in his youth. He had many mistakes to his name in those genin years, foolish decisions that, by all rights, should have gotten him and his teammates killed. But they hadn't been killed, had they? No, they'd survived, lived long enough to see everything fall apart. He'd been either incredibly talented to live as long as he had; to survive his encounters with Zabuza, Orochimaru, Gaara, and eventually Sasuke. Talented, or just plain lucky. Once he would've bragged, called it talent. Perhaps even skill. Now?

Now he was beginning to wonder if he'd ever learned from those mistakes in the first place.

It was the kind of error a genin would make; you didn't light a fire in a forest. It gave away your position. But he'd been tired and hungry and in his hunger, he hadn't paused to consider that there might be more of the damned things that had ambushed him earlier. So he'd lit the fire, cooked the rabbit, and had _just _enough time to enjoy the first bite before the everything went to shit. Before the walkers came. He should've realized it sooner, should've retreated into the trees to enjoy his hardfought meal.

But he hadn't, and now here he was, crouched upon a large bough, trying to hold his shoulder together. Where the hell had they come from? One moment he'd been the in the clear, the next; bodies came pouring up in a tidal rave of rotting flesh and dead tissiue. He'd beenso busy trying to fight his way free, his senses so focused on the task at hand, that one had gotten the better of him, managed to creep up beihind him and sink its teeth into his shoulder. By itself, that wouldn't have been so bad. But tearing out a chunk of flesh when he made the mistake of jerking himself free? Yeah, very bad. On the scale of apocalyptic.

_Hehehe,_ he chuckled bleakly, _if I wasn't in so much pain, that'd actually be funny._

It wasn't the infection that worried him, though. He'd already learnt the hard way that the red blood cells left behind by his former tenant were resistant to virtually any disease-manmade or otherwise-and he'd suffered a bite wound once before in the past.

It was the bleeding out that bothered him. But back to his sudden fondness for swearing. It had nothing to do with his wound, rather, everything in this fucked up world he'd landed in. There had been folks counting on him back in the Elemental Nations...and now he was gone. Left them to their fates, likely to die at Madara's hands. Or worse,

He'd become something of a paragon to those people in the weeks before their annihilation, known for his humility, drive, and determination. Indeed, Uzumaki Naruto was known for many a thing in those final days, his kindness chief amongst those qualities. A foul mouth was not one of them.

Oh, he would curse on occasion when the mood struck him, but never anything beyond damn. Few things could rouse him to such anger. His mistake was one of those few.

Yes-it was stupid. So godamned simple in its stupidity that he could just shout, scream his frustration to the heavens. But he didn't dare. Crying out now would only draw more of them. More of those...things to him. In his mind he knew that his regeneration was powerful, but he'd never suffered a wound like this before and without Kurama here to supplement him, he wasn't sure how long the kitsune's chakra would hold last him in a situation like this. Ever since he'd found himself here in this land of the dead, leaping from tree to tree to escape the zombies life had been hell.

And why shouldn't it be?

One simply did not fuck with the forces of space/time and expect to emerge unscathed. But Naruto had tried anyway. He'd experimented in secret, hoping to travel back in time; hoping, praying that he might somehow be able to undo the deaths of all his friends. But somewhere, somehow, everything had gone horribly wrong. Instead of landing in the blast, he'd thrown himself into another universe entirely-unless he was in the future and Madara had somehow died of boredom over the course of a few centuries. Not bloody likely.

_Because the dead were walking._

"Zombies." he ground out around a loose tooth, spitting out a bloody gob into the dirt. "Why does it have to be zombies?!" He'd seen many a jutsu back in the day, and only a handful could raise the dead. This certain wasn't the Edo Tensei at work; these bodies seemed content to do only one thing. Eat. There was no life to be found in those dead eyes, no semblance of sanity hidden within their lurching gait.

As he'd grown older his ignorance and misplaced energy had fallen nigh to the wayside, replaced by the beginnings of a young shinobi-nay, a young _man_ coming into his own. He'd garnered an impressive skillset over a distinguished and storied career; successfully survived a cuthroat world of shinobi and by some miracle, kept his identity in the longer run...unlike others. A veteran of the Fourth Shinobi Wars, last jinchuuriki, and quite possibly the last living sage in this land of the dead, he was the closest thing the resistance had to a leader after Madara's overwhelming victory in their final confrontation. He'd become the new host of the Juubi, with a grudge to boot, determined to extract that last half of the Kyuubi from Naruto after his father bestowed it upon him.

It had been chilling, coming so close to death that day, and it was that same chill he felt now. Having the other half of Kurama hadn't saved them. It hadn't saved anyone.

_'Just give in.'_ That tiny, dreadful little voice whispered in the back of his brain._ 'Let it bleed. All your friends and family are long gone now. No one will blame ya if you do.'_

Naruto just growled and clamped the wound tighter, silently willing the flesh to mend, trying to force his regeneration into action through sheer force of will. No. He refused to die here in some far flung land, surrounded by teeming hordes of undead. Wherever here was. No. He would not perish here, not while he could still do some good. _Live,_ He reminded himself, peeking through the branches, scowling down at the walkers milling at his feet. You need to find something to live for in this fucked up world. So find it!

"Find it, godamnit!"

As if spurred to life by those damned words, muscle and sinew flowed through his fingers, molding like milk across the ragged tear in his shoulder. Just like that, the wound was gone. His shoulder remained tender, far from peak capacity, but it was a sore sight better than the mottled mess of blood that it'd been moments ago.

"Now that's more like it." the blond permitted himself a wan smile, flexing his fingers. Kurama might no longer be with him, but its chakra, however limited, had once more saved his life. To think, he would miss that ol' bastard fox after all it had put him through. But the Kyuubi had been an ally in the end. Hell, they might've become friends, in time. Who knew? Maybe-

A sudden scream shattered the quiet, his contemplation crashing to the ground in shards at his feet. Despite the tenderness of his recently-healed shoulder the blond bounded into action; he simply wasn't the sort to be an ass and leave someone to die; not to save his own hide. Lunging from branch to branch, he retraced his steps, skidding to a halt just at the edge of the forest.

The sharp crack of a shotgun ripped through the air, and then...nothing.

_'Ah, christ..._

Below him, resting in a tangled muck of soil and steel, lay the ruined remnants of...what, exactly? A vehicle of some sort? Whatever it was, it wouldn't be going anywhere anymore. He was familiar with firearms, having encountered a few during the last month before everything went to hell, but this? He'd no idea. Before he could ponder the matter further, the scream came again.

"Help!" A man's voice could distinctly be heard now. "Somebody help! There's been an accident!" Then, a gasp. Followed by, "No! Oh god, NO!"

Hearing another scream his head snapped over to a point beyond the trees and there, sprawled out...ah, godamnit. Even as he heard the man, even as he spotted the walkers and surged down and out of the branch-he realized there was nothing he could do, not now, not ever. His left leg was mangled beyond belief and if that wasn't enough, he had a small horde surrounding him. Naruto's sudden motion was enough to draw off some of them, but a long walker was already upon the man, tearing a large chunk out of his neck and dragging him to the floor. Over before he could blink. As if sensing his weakness and drawn by the scent of fresh blood, the others quickly turned to converge on his now prone form. Within seconds he was gone; Naruto could only watch, heart-wrenching, as they made a meal of the older guy.

Fuck.

Then they turned on _him._

"Fuck fuck fuck!"

Before the swarm could take so much as another step in his direction, Naruto threw himself back into the trees. But they were moving with purpose; now the man-poor bastard-was dead and devoured they were free to bring the full weight of their unseeing eyes upon him. As much as he might like to, he couldn't stay up here forever; although his wound might've healed, his threadbare jacket was still coated in blood, both zombie and and his own. He needed to find somewhere safe. Damnit, he needed to find some better clothes, too. The jonin jacket had lasted him throughout the war, but underneath it his dark blue sleeves were matted and torn a bit, and his sandals were beginning to wear thin.

Now if he could just find somewhere to rest...

After only a few minutes of constant leaping, he came upon what looked like a home boarded off by a wooden fence. Without a second thought, he launched himself over it, neatly alighting upon the earth. He crouched there for a long moment, half-expecting the horde to break down the fence behind him. But it wasn't to be. A series of sharp bangs echoed in the distance, drawing the swarm away before they'd the chance to beat the gate down. Naruto quietly thanked the Gods for this unlikely blessing. That aside, he hoped whomever had fired those shots could defend themselves. If not...

_'No.'_ he shook his head. _'Don't think that way, champ. You can't save everyone.'_

Trying to shrug off his guilt, he clamored up the porch and rapped against the slidding door with his fist. As expected, no answer. This was after all, the apocalypse. With a heavy heart, he soldiered it aside and pushed his way inside.

"I'm coming in okay? I ain't an intruder...or one of those things outside." Once inside however he realized that these people probably needed more help than he did. Pools of blood and upturned furniture were scattered throughout the dining area and it looked like the house had been left like this for a few days at the least. A message machine was in the proccess of replaying several messages; whilst it did, he busied himself about, to search for any survivors and the like. All he found was a puddle of blood and a walkie-talkie, the kind he'd used on Genin missions. How quaint.

"Bloody hell...

When the messages finally finished -filling him with dread- Naruto sighed and looked up to the ceiling, wondering where it had all gone wrong. These were normal people, not shinobi. They didn't know how to deal with the end of the world, like this Big shocker. He got another shock however when the walkie-talkie he'd pocketed blared to life with a young girl's voice.

"Hello?"

"Well, hello yourelf..." Silently berating himself for possibly _the _lamest answer in all of exitence, the blond shook his head. Last thing he wanted to do was spook her.

"You need to be quiet." Naruto nearly facepalmed at that. Smart kid.

"Who is this?" The walkie crackled; wherever-whoever-this girl was, she couldn't be far.

"I'm Clementine. This is my house." Not the talkative type, then.

"Clementine, huh? Are you alright?"

"Yes."

"How old are you?" Picking his way through the shattered home, he continued his search for anything useful in pinpointing her location. Binoculars, maybe? Or...

"Eight."Damn. Just a kid. Hopefully that blood in the kitchen wasn't hers...

"Are you by yourself?" He wasn't good with kids, never had been, but for her sake, he made an effort.

"Yeah, I don't know where anybody is. How old are you?" Poor kid was all alone, he could relate he supposed.

"Thirty." That god awful war had dragged on for more than fifteen years, _fifteen years_ of watching his loved ones die or worse, surrender to the Moon's Eye Plan. Forcing himself not to think of it he turned his gaze back to the sliding door, watching for any sign of movement. If she wasn't in the house, surely she wouldn't risk discovery by going outside...

"Where are your parents?" Enough chit-chat. He'd be damned if he let a little girl wander around in this madness.

"They took a trip and left me with Sandra." she answered almost immediately. "They're in Savannah, I think. Where the boats are." everything after that 'trip' fell away in a white haze. Damn. Wherever this "Savannah" was, he hoped they'd fared better there than here. If this was happening all across the globe...no. He didn't want to think of that. Still peering through the sliding door, he inquired anew:

"Hmm okay, are you safe?" He was growing more and more concerned as this conversation dragged on. No kid that age should be left to fend for themselves, it was slightly wrong of him but Naruto seriously hoped that blood was someone other than Clementine's. Ah! He _did _have a way to find her. Closing his eyes-and silently praying that this world had nature energy-the last shinobi drew deep within himself and activated Sage Mode not a moment afteward. _Yes!_ Maybe there was hope after all.

Golden orbs slid open seconds later, regarding the world through changed eyes, his senses expanding for miles around. Amazing what you could do with a few years to improve your techiniques. But what he saw nearly made him gag. Dear Kami, just looking at these walkers made him ill! But where was Clementine-

There she was. In hindsight it was obvious; she was in the treehouse.

"I'm outside in my tree-house, they can't get in." Before he could think to say that he already knew, he spied a small baseball cap peeking out a wooden flap followed by a head of wavy brown shoulder length hair. She was smaller than he'd thought she'd be. Dark eyes peered out at him inquisitvely, almost as if she were afraid he might bite.

"See? Can you see me? I can see you through the window." Naruto nodded and returned her wave, quietly relieved that she was alright. More importantly she was safe, and unharmed up there, well away from any of the walkers. Wait a second. what the hell was that growling sound-

**"?!"**

Instinct kicked in without warning; years of hardened training rising to the fore in the blink of an eye. Naruto cut down with a single kunai, ramming the iron knife into the corpse's throat even as the walker wrapped its fingers around his neck and began to squueze. The result was as visceral as it was gory; blood splattered in every direction, momentarily its advance almost. But the walker didn't die. Her gnarled hands still reached for him, dead mouth still slavering at the prospect of her teeth sinking into his neck. That was all it wanted. To eat. Eat. And eat again. Deep inside Naruto, something snapped.

_"Motherfuck!"_

Disgusted, he cut down at it again and again and _again_ each time the kunai opening deep trenches in the walker's flesh, desecreating its undead body even further. But it wasn't enough; to slake his fury. Even when he split the thing's skull in twine, even when he killed it for a second time, even as its body slumped, the red haze didn't fade from his vision.

It just wasn't enough.

He could feel his rage boiling insides, building, the animal inside him roaring forth screaming a sound ofits fury. Fucking zombies. Fucking jutsu. Fucking Madara! That was the root of it all-the reason he was trapped in this hell, all alone, surrounded by the dead. If Kabuto hadn't revived him, then they never would have lost the war, he never would've tried to find a way to fix it, and he wouldn't be here. Damn him to hell! With a yell he wrenched its head away, obliterating the brain in one final, furious slice.

"Eep!"

He didn't even notice Clementine behind him until she squeaked; he whirled around with a start to find a hammer clutched tightly in hand, her fingers white-knuckled around the tool. They stared at one another for that long moment, neither willing to speak for fear of spooking the other. Finally, the latter broke it.

"Did you kill it?" She was nervous and rightfully so slowly inching away from the gathering pool of blood at her feet. Naruto blanched, wondering if she'd been there to witness his brief breakdown. Hopefully not. He'd all but hate to traumatize the little girl any further than he already had. But instead of confidence, all he managed was a wearing sounding:

"Definitely."

"Sometimes they come back." Ah, that explained a lot. No wonder she was nervous.

"That won't happen." he promised. "I got 'em good."

"Kay."

He released his hold on Sage Mode, feeling drained. Evidently he hadn't recovered as much as he'd thought. Being flung from one end of the space/time continuom did that to. But Clementine must've notice something, because she gasped, dropping the hammer as both hands flew to her face.

"Your eyes changed!" she exclaimed aloud.

Shit. Naruto cringed, realizing his slip up.

"I guess they did, darling."

"Are you a magician?"

The blond considered it for a long moment. He supposed the people of this world would consider him a superhuman, or something. But a little girl like Clementine? Magician was the closest thing she could think of, after seeing something like that. One could only wonder what others might think.

"Something like that, yeah. Have you been alone all this, um...time?"

Just like that, her expression crumpled.

"Yeah, I want my parents to come home now." It took all Naruto had not to cringe at the planitive need in her voice; if that last message, had been anything to go by, they were probably dead. He daren't tell-repeat to her what he'd heard on the message machine however, something like that might break the poor thing. Last thing he wanted.

"I think they might be a little while..." He trailed off, not knowing what else to say. Clementine sniffled, her first outward expression of emotion since they'd met. Visibly shaken by this, seemingly closing in on herself to keep from breaking down, she looked as though she might burst into tears at any moment. Naruto couldn't bear to see that. Adopting his most winning of grins, he reached out and placed a hand on her head, his large palm easily dwarfing Clementine's small cranium, fingers stroking her hair through the hat.

"Hey there," he soothed, crooning softly. "Don't cry. I'm not sure what happened exactly, but until we find your parents? I'll look after you. I'll keep you safe. Would you like that?"

"O-Okay." she offered a small, tentative smile. Something in that smile lit something in him; stoked the dying embers of his will. Only a few moments ago he'd been berating himself for failing to save someone, to save others in the past, but this? This was his chance. Redemption. Perhaps his life wasn't nearly as cursed as he'd supposed. Here in this little girl, he had a chance to do something right. Perhaps there were other survivors left-no. His mind seized up, his euphoria vanishing as he remembered what Madara had done to his ragtag band of survivors in the war. Obliterated them. To the last man.

But Madara wasn't here anymore. And as farfetched as it might seem, perhaps he had a chance to start over...

"You're not a bad guy, right?" Clementine's question jerked him out of the past and back into the present.

"Me?" Naruto feigned a hurt expression for her sake. "Of course not! Do you think a _magician_ would be a bad guy?"

Clementine seemed to consider this.

...I guess not."

"Well in that case, its nice ta meetcha, Clem." For the first time in a long time, the world's last shinobi felt a smile blossom on his face. "The name's Naruto."

Then she asked him the question that would change everything.

"What do we do now?"

**A/N: Poor Lee! I feel so bad, just offing him like that. But I've already beaten the game and quite frankly, this story is about Naruto, not him. I have no intentions of making him a side character in any way. Naruto's got quite the chip on his shoulder after losing the Fourth Shinobi War, and without Kurama, he's quite a bit weaker, so don't expect him to be hurling Rasenshuriken's anytime in the near futures, despite the fact that he's still stronger and faster than your average human. He's flawed-afraid that he won't be able to protect anyone after what Madara did to his comrades and can you blame him? I certainly can't.**

**He's going to be every bit the protagonist in this story although, and if you think for a second that its going to follow the events of canon to the letter...you're dead wrong. Ha! Dead! I crack myself up. But seriously guys, let me know what you think, eh?**

**So...in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...Review, Would You Kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview!**

**(Preview)**

_Cracks in trust had formed and then they had evolved into full formed wedges. __Naruto was the man picking up the pieces of his ragtag little band. **His.** Not Lily's. It was difficult enough keeping the peace between her and Kenny, but the girl just wasn't cracked up for leadership. So he'd taken charge at the drugstore. No one had dared protest afer he'd save dall their asses._

_Her heart may have been in the right place at the start of all this, but she didn't know a damned thing about leadership. Neither did her asshole of a father. Godamned sunuvabitch. Should've let him die, left him there to rot. But he hadn't. He'd saved Larry-in spite of all the trouble he'd caused. He'd gotten them all out of that drugstore. Everyone. Except Doug. Damn. Damnit. Damnitall! He didn't want this. Christ, he'd never asked for this responsibility...yet here it was, laid firmly at his feet._

_Forcing him to assume the burden of leading once more._

_Here he was, with another band of survivors, only this time, there was no war to be fought. It was worse. In a war, you had a clear enemy. Out here, anything could be a threat. Zombies. Animals. Hell, even the living could be just as dangerous. That's what this was bout. Survival, plain and simple. The motor inn would be a good place to stay; it was defensible-had access to electricity-was easily fortified and they had access to the woods. If all else failed, they could easily hunt up some food-_

_"Hey asshole, stop staring off into space and help me with this wall!"_

_Naruto jerked around at the harsh bark of a voice, glaring bloody red daggers at Larry. Did this man want to die?!_

_"Oi oi, you trying to piss me off old timer?" he sighed, cracking his neck._

_"Swear." Clementine commented from her perch on his back. Naruto muttered an apology._

_"Dad, knock it off." Lily's voice called from across the lot. "He's got a lot on his mind."_

_ After a moment the man relented._

_"He's not very nice." Clementine mumbled softly._

_"No." Naruto agreed. "No he isn't." Honestly, if it weren't for Lily, he'd have tossed Larry out on his ass the second they escaped from Mecan. Damn his bleeding heart._

_"Naruto?"_

_Once more he craned his neck in the direction the speaker, broken from his musings again, regarding with a keen eye. Clementine shifted from her perch on his broad shoulders, her weight was like a leaf compared to the burdens he'd caried. Emerald eyes stared back at him; these were not Lily's eyes, but those of another._

_"Whaddya want?" he asked them._

_The look she gave him was absolutely haunting. He refused to let it faze him._

_"Why did you save me, instead of Doug?"_

_Naruto felt the smallest of smiles pull at his face._

_"Because you're special, Carley."_

**Hope you enjoyed! R&R! =D**


	2. Strength in Numbers

**A/N: Alright ladies and gentlmen, good news and bad news. Good news first. I'm fresh out of ANOTHER surgery-hurts like hell, and my girl came back to me. Even better, My grandmother's all but recovered from congestive heart failure. And to top it all of, I somehow got a job washing dishes/bussing tables in a local restaurant. Alas, my health is still poorly, and the docs say it ain't looking good. So...I just...wanted to let you all know about this. Somehow. Just in case death has plans to take me out of this sickly body of mine...hopefully it won't!**

**Anywho, I managed to put this up here at points between the forced anesthetic. Bad news is I still have more surgeries ahead. It's been great, guys. Really. ****I'm hanging tough though, despite everything life is throwing at me. Despite all that's happening, I don't intend to die quietly in a bed somewhere! On another note, my health and my job may start cutting into my update schedule, so I apologize for that. Now, onto this. I recently played the cinematic game, the Walking Dead. Not those other two, the Telltale version with Lee. And after completing it naturally, my mind came up with an idea...and here it is!**

**This is a gritty, realistic take on what would happen if a certain someone found himself flung into a certain universe. Remember, this is based on the GAME not the show!**

_"You're not fit to lead..._

_~?!_

**Strength in Numbers**

"Damn boy, you some kinda athlete or somethin'?"

Naruto craned his neck down from his perch atop the barn-his balance faltering ever so slighty at the sound of Kenny's voice hailing him from below. The older man was staring up at him with something akin to disbelief and awe, no doubt wondering just now he'd been able to clamor his way up without being noticed in the first place. Naruto didn't blame him. He doubted anyone could move as quietly or quickly as he, not without some extensive training in the arte. No wonder the poor fellow was spooked!

"Something like that, yeah."

"See anything up there?" he hollered up.

It didn't take two brain cells to know what he meant. Walkers. Naruto had ushered Clementine out of the house the first chance he got in search of food and water; that had been when they'd encountered Shawn Green and his friend, Chet. What was meant to be a supply run swiftly became a flight for survival-the four of them escaping aboard the latter's truck when in the face of an encroaching horde. Their act of goodwill had earned him and Clem a place to lay their heads for a fortnight at his father's-Hershel's-behest and for the time being everyhing seemed to be safe. It wouldn't last though. Naruto had learned the hard way that one could never truly lower their guard, lest they be taken unawares. How many times had he and the resistance made that same mistake against Madara? No, as much as he might wish it were so, this tranquility wouldn't last.

It never did.

At least he'd managed to pick up a fresh set of clothes, though. His orange flannel shirt and jeans were a testament to that. He'd been forced to discard everything but his jonin jacket-to practical to leave behind-and its shuriken/kunai holsters taped to either thigh of the black garment. All in all, he was looking a sore sight better than he had a few days ago. Change of clothes and a shower could do that to ya.

Relucantly he returned his gaze back to the horizon, rows of corn and open plains as far as the eye could see. No walkers, for now. Good. At least there was that.

"Unless corn counts as something, that'd be a no!"

"Well then come on down!" came the reply. "Shawn needs help with the fence!"

With a grunt he swung himself off the roof and without thinking of the consequences, jumped down; alighting efortlessly in a pointed crouch. A memory took him abruptly, flooding his mouth with ash. How many times had he done this with his friends, his family, in the past. A jump like this meant nothing to him. But to the people of this world, it was an impossibility, an improbable feat. _And I'll have to do much more before this shit gets any worse._ _Much more. Fuck..._

For a moment he was overwhelmed, harsh tears stinging at the corners of his eyes. But then he thought of Clementine-a bright beacon of light in his mind- and the pain receded. Right. He did have something to live for -an angel in his life-even if it was only the one.

"Whoa, there!" Kenny flinched when he rose, as though he half expected him to sprout an extra arm or something. "You okay?"

"I'm just fine, old man." Naruto returned with a grin, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "See? Nothing broken."

His reply earned him a laugh. "Well shit, you're a strange one."

"That! Was! Awesome!" Duck enthused, his eyes practically aglow as he turned toward his mother. "Mom, I wanna try!"

"Maybe when you're older, dear." Katjaa soothed.

The boy's smile dimmed, but only for a moment before it brightened again. That was Duck for ya; nothing could keep him down.

Kenny struck him as a stoic sort; he was fiercely protective of his family and his mildly calloused hands hinted he was a hard working man. Katjaa, whose name was strange even the by convoluted standard's of Naruto and his world, was the doting wife of Kenny. A very pleasant woman who seemed to radiate nothing but a friendly warmth. The last, and by far the loudest of the three-was Kenny Junior, or Duck, as he was nicknamed by his father. The boy was like a hamster on coffee, always so full of questions and curiosity. Kami, had _he _been like that when he was a kid?

"How did you do that? Are you a superhero? Or a cyrborg? Oh! I know! You're-

"Alright Duck, lets leave the nice man alone."

Naruto was almost grateful when Kenny shooed his son away, sending him to help Shawn over by the fence. He wasn't yet ready to answer those questions. But they would have to be answered someday, wouldn't they surely? It wasn't as though he could go around keeping this secret forever...

"Cute kid." he muttered, watching the lad hop onto a nearby tractor.

"Yeah, he gets like that sometimes." But the older man had a glint in his eye, one that suggested he too was curious; just how Naruto had made a thirty foot drop without breaking a limb? And sure enough, he gave his doubts a voice. "Alright, I gotta ask: how'd you make that jump back there? And don't bullshit me, I can

"I do a lot of pushups and situps and I drink plenty of juice." Naruto replied, but at the grave look in Kenny's eye, he almost found himself faltering. Almost-but not quite. Shinobi were adept at misdirection and keeping secrets, and he himself was no exception. "Look, would you spill your guts to a perfect stranger?" At Kenny's frown, he continued. "Didn't think so. Tell you what; we get to know one another better, I'll tell you anything you want to know. Square?" For a long moment, he feared the man was going to call him out right then and there. But he didn't.

At last he nodded. "I can live with that. So long as your secrets don't put Duck or Katjaa in danger-

"They won't."

"Then we're square." With that, he marched off to continue his inspection of the truck.

Naruto nodded. The man had a family to look after. He could respect that. He'd almost forgotten what it was like to watch over someone. In only a few short hours Clementine had become his entire world; she was one of the only things keeping him going nowadays; the sole spot of light in a mind filled with unimaginable darkness. If he were to loser her to a walker, or worse-

A subtle tug at his sleeve gently nudged him back to the present.

"Naruto?"

He glanced down, momentarily alarmed to find Clem standing there in the flesh, peering up at him.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

"You're not hurt, are you?"

Almost without thinking, he plastered a smile to his whiskered face. "No, of course not. It'd take more than a little fall to hurt me." He pressed down on her cap in subtle affection, mussing the hair beneath. "I promised I'd look after you, remember? And nothing's gonna keep me from doing that."

"Then how did you jump lke that?"

His smile faltered. Damn. What to say? Crouching down, he looked her square in the eye, placing a large hand upon her tiny shoulder. It was such a wonderful thing, the mind of a child; so simple, so wonderful, and yet so fragile at the same time. Easily molded. Easily broken. Easily deceived. It would be child's play for him to explain it away, to lie to her and smother the truth in falsehood. And yet for some damnable reason, he felt a obligation to tell her just that; the truth. Tell her that he was no mere magician but a shinobi-having mastered all manner of jutsu-many of which were now useless to him in his current state. Until he recovered he'd be lucky if he could create a shadow clone. And how long would that take, for his stamina to return? Days? Weeks? Months?

"You don't think I'm a magician, do you." It wasn't a question.

...no." she conceded.

Naruto sighed. Time to come out with it, then.

"Listen, Clem. You're right." It felt so freeing, revealing his secret to her. "I'm not a magician. I'm something better. A shinobi. I can do things most peopl can't. Like jump off tall buildings and not get hurt," he added at her questing look. "But I need you to keep it a secret between us, alright? You can't tell anyone yet. People...if they knew I could do these things, they might get scared. Can you do that for me, Clementine?"

She nodded solemnly. "Okay.

"Promise?"

"Pinky promise." she swore, knowing the sanctity of such a vow.

His features softened in a slight smile.

"Good-

And then, as was often his wont in life, everything went straight to shit.

"Oh god, somebody help!"

There was no time for thought. Naruto made his decision and moved. A single swing of his arm sent the arm grabbing at Duck askew, another severed them entirely. But even as he whirled and flung the boy into Kenny a harrowing crack of wood signalled the end of the hastily fortified fence and had he perhaps been seconds slower, the end of a life. But Naruto-even for all his exhaustion- was anything but slow. He closed his eyes and felt the world blur around him, his now golden irises turning to balefully regard the tractor under which the young man's leg was pinned.

Strong hands strove against its surface, thrusting the massive machine aside as though it weighed no more than a feather. It only took a second to reach down and grasp Shawn's arm, another to haul him up-

One second too many.

"Oh god-

Naruto turned just in time to witness a walker sink its teeth into the young man's neck. It didn't matter that he was free from the tractor, the corpse was suddenly there, its rotten breath wafting over him, Shawn in its sights, sweet flesh torn asunder within its decaying maw, a gaping chunk of muscle and sinew that no doctor could ever hope to treat. Damnit, he'd dragged the poor boy right into its path! Now Shawn was gone and it was his fault.

His fault.

Gone. Another life he'd failed to save. Rage took him then and he gave himself to it, whole and completely. He set upon the remaining walkers in a blur of black and orange, wreaking havoc on the corpses that dared to take this young, vibrant life out of this world with their incessant hunger for flesh. When he finally came back to himself Clementine and others were standing there, staring at him.

"What have you done?"

The old veteran was there as well, slack-jawed, unable to believe what he'd just borne witness to. One look in those wild eyes told Naruto all he needed to know. He blamed him, he hadn't saved Shawn in time because he'd gone to Duck first. Kenny's son. Hershel's sone. One lived, the other was dead. And because of that, Uzumaki Naruto was forever damned in the eyes of Hershel Greene.

"Get out." It was spoken just above a whisper but they all heard it.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" An eternity seemed to pass as Hershel's angry eyes turned onto the so-called guests of his farm, burning holes into each and every one of them. Not even Clementine was spared from a scowling leer.

"Think about what you're doing here." Naruto ground out, rising from his crouch, arms outstretched placatingly. "Its my fault. Not theirs. Just let them stay and I'll go-

"I SAID GET THE FUCK OUT! ALL OF YOU!"

Something snapped in the blonde; all those years of anger rising to the fore in an instant.

"FUCK YOU! I DID WHAT I COULD!"

He froze as he felt the cold muzzle of a rifle poking against his chest. Gun. Reaction. His fist closed around the barrel and squeezed before Hershel could pull the trigger, crumpling and bending it backwards even as this odd sound of sundered steel filled his ears. It all happened so fast.

"Nobody points a rifle at my girl."

"How in the hell did you-urk!"

His words ended in a pained grunt as Naruto's fist found his face; clenched knuckles barreling into the older man's unprotected cheek. The blow knocked him sprawling, the now-ravaged rifle skittering from his grasp to land in the yard a few feet away. To his credit, Hershel didn't try to attack him. He just sat there, staring up at him with tears in his eyes. Naruto didn't move to attack, but he certainly wasn't making any moves to help the crazed farmer up, either.

"I'm sorry." he muttered at last. "If I could've saved him, I would have."

Hershel wasn't having any of it.

"Y-You get the hell out." he choked out at him, overcome with grief. "The lot of you!"

_"Done."_

A few moments later, Naruto accepted Kenny's offer of a ride into Macon, the town in which he and his family were headed. They packed up their meager supplies, piled into his beaten up truck and drove away and into the distance, leaving the farm behind, with no intention of returning.

That's right, he reminded himself. Safety was a lie.

It always was.

* * *

Safety was a lie. It was true when you were alone...

...and it was _especially_ true when you were grouped together like cattle. Trapped, more like it.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" the harsh bark of Larry's voice threatened to overide what little self-control he had remaining and plunge Naruto back into that boiling abyss of anger and spite, although their spiteful syllablers were reserved for someone other than him. "You godamned piece of shit! Who taught you how to swing an axe?!"

"How's about I swing it at your head!" Kenny growled back, brandishing his recently acquired tool menacingly. The weapon had been a staple in the last few days; its edge sharp and perfect for cutting wood, wood they could use to barricade the entrances to their little refuge. The motor-inn where they'd barricaded themselves was a haven compared to the drugstore from which they'd escaped. But it was far from secure, and with the fortifications falling behind schedule, emotions were running high. And none were higher than Larry's and Kenny's.

Beside him, Clementine cringed aside from her chalk drawing.

"They're fighting again...

"Don't I know it." Naruto grumbled to himself and started across the lot towards them.

The two had been at it since the moment they'd met; the old soldier insisting Duck had been bitten when he wasn't, refusing to wait until Katjaa cleaned the poor boy up. Naruto, realizing it was fear, not common sense that guided the old vet, had sided with Kenny in that particular debacle. The two had come to blows before he'd been able to calm things down; poor Kenny had gotten himself knocked out in a single punch. Perhaps his hatred for Larry had been seeded then. Perhaps it was when the hulking man had tried to bar him entry from escaping the drugstore with the rest of them; in spite of all he'd done to guarantee their safety, the massive moron actually had the gall to hit him!

Unlike Kenny, Naruto actually hit back.

"Whoa there!" He barked, switly interposed himself between the two men before either decided to use that axe on something more than wood. "Nobody's gonna swing anything!"

Larry immediately took two steps backward; the ugly swelling of his cheek serving as a healthy reminder that the blond could-and would-hit back if he resorted to violence. It would be soooo easy just to snap the man's neck like a twig and have it done; remove the thorn from the group's side. But if he did that then he'd likely have to kill Lilly, too. The girl had heart; that was a rare thing these day, and just the thought of culling their little group any further was enough to make him cringe. There was strength in numbers. The last thing they needed was anyone to strike out on their own.

"I'm sick and tired of his shit, boss!" Kenny bit out, glaring heatedly at Larry. "All this fucker does is bitch and moan! I mean, what use is he to us like this?!" The "boss" term had arisen seemingly out of nowhere when he'd taken leadership over the Mecan survivors and damn if it hadn't stuck.

"Its not my fault this asshat can't use a damn axe-

"I'll use it right between your damned eyes-

"ENOUGH!"

Killer intent was still good for one thing in this world; scaring the living daylights out of people. Both Kenny and Larry staggered as though they'd been struck-the sheer venom in the shinobi's stare held enough potency to knock down an angry elephant. Against two grown men? Positively paralyzing.

"Kenny, I understand you're frustrated." he spoke soothingly, placing an arm on his pal's shoulder. "We're all on edge here. Take a little break. Be with your family. I'll cover your watch tonight, alright?"

"I...thanks, boss." the man replied, genuinely humbled and not for the first time. He didn't know what to say. What _could_ he say? Naruto always gave him a fair shake of things; he was honest to a fault and always had his back when it mattered most, he was a leader and a fighter who knew how to put people in their place and get shit done.

With that matter rectified, he turned to Larry.

"And as for you, if you threaten the well-being of my people again, I will toss your ass out of this lot with nothing but the clothes on your back! Do you understand?!"

"Now wait just a damned minute-

"Go on old man, give me an excuse." Naruto returned with a hiss, his visage only inches away. "Surprisingly, I don't like the idea of sending you out there alone but I _will not_ tolerate any instigation on your part. Things are fragile enough as is without your incessant bitterness and bitching. So man the fuck up, shape up, and get your shit done, soldier!"

Defeated, the veteran whirled and stalked away, muttering beneath his breath all the while.

"Want me to hit him again?" Kenny asked as the old timer stalked away.

"Let me do the swinging from now on, alright?" Naruto barked out a laugh and clapped his friend on the back in response. In this much they agreed; Larry was an asshole. Lily had a few redeeming qualities when she wasn't doing her usual silent-but-scowling routine, qualities Naruto was determined to preserve alongside the group. A task that grew harder and harder with each passing day he mused-wandering back towards their battered RV. Kenny had spoken of getting it up and running, another fracture in the delicate trust that held their group together.

Cracks in trust had formed and then they had evolved into full formed wedges. Naruto was the man picking up the pieces of his ragtag little band. **His.** Not Lily's. It was difficult enough keeping the peace between her and Kenny, but the girl just wasn't cracked up for leadership. So he'd taken charge at the drugstore. No one had dared protest afer he'd saved their asses. Well, no one except Larry, but the man was an ass in his eye and everyone knew it. His opinion didn't count for shit.

Her heart may have been in the right place at the start of all this, but she didn't know a damned thing about leadership. Neither did her asshole of a father. Godamned sunuvabitch. Should've let him die, left him there to rot. But he hadn't. He'd saved Larry-in spite of all the trouble he'd caused. He'd gotten them all out of that drugstore. Everyone. Except Doug. Damn. Damnit. Damnitall! He didn't want this. Christ, he'd never asked for this responsibility...yet here it was, laid firmly at his feet.

Forcing him to assume the mantle of leadership once more.

Here he was, with another band of survivors, only this time, there was no war to be fought. It was worse. In a war, you had a clear enemy. Out here, anything could be a threat. Zombies. Animals. Hell, even the living could be just as dangerous. That's what this was bout. Survival, plain and simple. The motor inn would be a good place to stay; it was defensible-had access to electricity-was easily fortified and they had access to the woods. If all else failed, they could easily hunt up some food-

"Hey asshole, stop staring off into space and watch the perimeter!"

Naruto jerked around at the harsh bark of the older man's voice as he bent to pick up Clementine, glaring bloody red daggers at Larry as sh clamored onto his shoulders. Did this man want to die?!

"Oi oi, you trying to piss me off old timer?" he sighed, cracking his neck.

"Swear." Clementine commented from her perch on the blacktop. Naruto muttered an apology.

"Dad, knock it off." Lily's voice called from atop the vehicle. "He's got a lot on his mind."

After a moment the man relented.

Shaking his head, Naruto clamored up onto the hood of the RV and slung himself onto the roof. As expected, Lily was there waiting for him, rising from the uncomfortable lawn chair in which she'd made her roost. With a sigh and a smile at Clementine she handed her rifle off to him, relieved that her shift was over. Lately, it seemed as though a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders, she smiled more, spoken often, and he'd yet to remember the last time she'd snapped at him. It was almost as if she were relieved that someone else was in charge for a change, she hadn't even tried to challenge his decisions yet, unlike her father. Speaking of which...

"My dad giving you trouble?"

"You could say that." Naruto quietly slotted in a fresh clip and took his place in the chair. Clementine didn't budge an inch, content to enjoy the view presented by this great height. He was still aware of Lily, the woman stood there beside him as though rooted, a multitude of emotions flickering across her face. She didn't know what to think of him. The blond hadn't exactly been forthcoming about his past but she eventually concluded he was special forces or something of the sort. He knew his way around a gun but it was more than that, she'd witnessed firsthand his skill with knives and his ability to take charge during crisis. And yet his confidences were tempered by loss, anyone could see he valued lives more than resources. That made him a good man. Not neccessarily practical, but a good man nonetheless.

He radiated an almost otherwordly confidence and charisma, the kind who knew how to lead and was unused to being led. He, was a born leader, plain and simple. She wasn't. Never had been. In a way she was almost grateful that he'd done them that favour; in taking over and relieving her of command, she served as more of an advisory role. The burden of responsibility was no longer hers. Thank god.

So why was this so damned difficult? That he inspired her? At last, she settled on weariness.

"He's just been through a lot."

"So have I." Naruto didn't look up.

Her frown deepened.

"You're not making this easy, Naruto."

"What do you want me to say, Lily?" His gaze snapped upward, those searing sapphires orbs suddenly making her feel incredibly small. "He's a great guy? We should all be more like him? Well, I'm sorry...he's not. You saw what he did back in Mecan; he tried to keep me from following you out of that drug-store, if I hadn't fought back then I wouldn't be here right now. He lashes out at almost everyone and anyone except Clementine and Duck, complains when he doesn't get his way, and for what? What good does it do?"

Despite those facts, Lily still felt the urge to defend him. "Ever since Mom died, he's been-

"Your past can only get you so far." he cut in harshly. "Its time he started focusing on the future. Like you." He laid the gun down and rose out of the chair; Lily was suddenly aware just how incredibly tall he was, those calloused hands resting gently upon her shoulders, the way they felt when his rough palms brushed the bare skin there. Fall would be upon them soon, but until the air remained warm, and her body warmer. Staring at him was like staring into the sun; look too long and you'd lose yourself, go blind. Lily suddenly realized that she wanted to kiss this man, if nothing more than for the sheer thrill of finding someone who stood up against her father, yet also shared the same values as him. It was strange.

"I...should go." Oh god. Oh dear god, she had to get out of here before she said-or did-something stupid. "I'll be in my room, if you...um...need anything." Crap, why was she saying this?!

"I'll be here."

His words were nearly lost on her as she clamored down the RV and into her oom.

"She's nice." Clementine mumbled softly once Lily was safely out of earshot.

"Ys, she is." Naruto felt a small smile warm his lips.

"Her dad isn't, tho."

"No." Naruto agreed. "No he isn't." Honestly, if it weren't for Lily, he'd have tossed Larry out on his ass the second they escaped from Mecan. Damn his bleeding heart. He knew a thing or two about families, and he just didn't have it in him to separate them. Poor girl would probably go stir-crazy without her pa around...

"Naruto?"

Once more he craned his neck in the direction the speaker, broken from his musings again, regarding with a keen eye. Clementine shifted from her perch on his broad shoulders, her weight was like a leaf compared to the burdens he'd caried. Emerald eyes stared back at him; these were not Lily's eyes, but those of another. Someone else had climbed up here to meet him, another of his survivors.

"Whaddya want?" he asked them.

The look she gave him was absolutely haunting, and he knew at once what she would ask. He refused to let it faze him.

"Why did you save me, instead of Doug?"

Naruto felt the smallest of smiles pull at his face.

"Because you're special, Carley."

She stared at him for a long moment, looking torn.

"Thanks, I think." Before he could think to stop her, something warm brushed his face. "I think you're doing a damned good job, for what its worth."

Naruto touched a hand to his cheek and watched the reporter go, quietly marveling at what'd just happened.

Perhaps he had more than one angel in his life after all. Three, it seemed. It was beginning to look like he'd finally found a cure...

_...a cure for loneliness._

**A/N: Poor Doug! I fetl so bad, just offing him like that. But I never really liked his character, and we can't save EVERYONE so the deed had to be done. Naruto's got quite the chip on his shoulder where guilt is concerned, he feels that each life lost is his fault. Despite the fact that he's still stronger and faster than your average human. He's flawed in his own ways, afraid that he won't be able to protect anyone after what Madara did to his comrades and can you blame him? I certainly can't.**

**He's going to be every bit the protagonist in this story although, and if you think for a second that its going to follow the events of canon to the letter...you're dead wrong. Ha! Dead! I crack myself up. But seriously guys, let me know what you think, eh?**

**So...in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...Review, Would You Kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview!**

**(Preview)**

_"What are you doing with that knife?"_

_Those words were lost on Uzumaki Naruto as he emerged from the barn-kunai in hand-Mark trailing close behind. He'd been right to follow his nose; the moment they'd set foot on this dairy, something had been amiss, Mark's close call with an arrow at the hands of bandits had only solidified his suspicions. Everything that he was had railed against letting him follow Brenda into that house; so he'd treated the wound himself, promised the man he would explain later, and that was that. _

_The woman's slight scowl only made him feel worse. These people were offering food, resources. If he'd been wrong...ah, but he hadn't now, had he?_

_Now, his heightened senses had led him straight to that door in the back of the barn. Now he knew. Just as he knew it would've been a mistake to send poor Mark up into that house. These people were cannibals! Blood was their business, flesh their meal. Human flesh!_

_"Naruto," Lily called out to him as he stalked past. "What's-_

_"Not now."_

_As soon as he saw Andy standing by the swing, he pounced. The razor edge of his knife fell upon the man's throat in an instant, opening a thin rent in his neck. His efforts earned him a grunt of surprise, but the blonde did not relent._

_"What in the-_

_"Don't move." Naruto hissed. "You've got some explainin' to do."_

_"You're insane! This is just a dairy! Ain't nothing wrong with-_

_"Dairy my ass!" Naruto didn't take the knife away from the man's throat, even at Mark's quiet behest. "You...reek of human flesh. I smell it on you." his words were a low growl, yet loud enough for all to hear. "Tell me, since I'm rather new to this whole zombie-apocalypse thing, since when did the **living** start eating the living?"_

_"But how did ya'll-shit!" the man cursed, realizing his slipup. _

_All eyes fell upon him; t__here was an awful silence as the group processed his words. Clementine's squeak of fear set off an avalanche; Kenny's disgusted gurgle following hot on her heels. Mark pitched forwards and lost what little he'd been given to eat before supper, then Carley was suddenly swearing and all else was lost in a sursurus of soundd._

_"What the fuck's wrong with you people?!"_

_"Oh God, I think I'm gonna be sick!"_

_"Moooom, what did they give us to eat?"_

_"Not now, Ducky!"_

_"You sick bastards!"_

_Impossibly, Naruto's grin grew even more ghastly._

_"Yes, sick indeed. Now, would you kindly explain this to me **BEFORE** I cut your balls of, neh?" A sudden thought struck him just then. He didn't see Brenda. Or Danny. Or, for that matter-_

_Fuck!_

_"Where the hell did Larry go?!"_

_Lily, silent untile now, felt face go chalk-white. "He said he wasn't feeling well, so he went inside to lay...down..._

_"DAD!"_


End file.
